I also wonder if many blacks feel, as I do (even being white) that their heroes and heroines are chosen for them.

Nah, having heroes/heroines at all is seen as personal in the black "community." (In quotes 'cause it's hardly monolithic) They could easily be familial or communal rather than public figures. We see MLK as the public figurehead of a movement that claimed many lives, brutalized others, and is largely ongoing in different forms with similar or different issues  and strategies. Those old enough to remember the lobbying and enactment of the holiday, remember Reagan-Bush granting it as one of the more piercing ironies of the era. There was definitely a "let them eat cake" flavor to it, as the Reagan/Bush junta cemented the American neo-fascism from which we all have yet to recover.

Pretty much the same opinion spoken in black barbershops and family barbeques or wherever black men can speak freely.

Power always divides to conquer. There are the ramifications of economic class that have more of an impact in black minds. If you read accounts from slaves that were recorded when they were still alive in the 1940's some saw indentured white servants and farmers as their equals, even though they didn't get the whip. If the media or power-elite are celebrating an African-american, some of us applaud wholeheartedly. Some of us applaud while muttering under our breath about their compromises. Some of us withold applause thinking 'outside the box.'

TPTB will always find the social construct of race useful to hide the class domination of the rich. The civil rights era did much to glue the southern whites into the Republican party. Reagan/Bush were just making sure that was so by granting the holiday, thus enabling them to begin economically decimating the middle-class and poor whites. TPTB will always need race to dominate non-"blacks" by implying "at least you're not black, you're better off, see?" and "fear them, they know not and have not" to immigrants.

That is, until you throw extraterrestrials into the mix.

If a man acheives something, let him be called merely a man, if a woman acheives something, let her be called merely a woman.

I celebrate the days of those kind of people not because of their race or any physical/ethical attributes that differ from us. MLK attended many colleges (Hope I don't have to do that) and done many things in hopes for his dreams. I'm surprised that I found something like "service to others" in a news article. I'm starting to look up to people that are considered aiming for their dreams that are "service to others."

If I was a black person, and had the mind I have , as a white person, these would be my 5 flavors to choose from politically and/or spiritually as "representatives" of my ethics and my race.

Here is my main issue:

This is designed to perpetuate the divisiveness between the races, as are things like MLK Day, and sort of reinforces the fact that even though King's legacy lives on (and has only been cheapened since it's inception, by association with a governing body which gloats in it's ability to declare their own pedestal status by giving such another hero his fair due [even after 15 years, how much time must pass in before we consider YOUR holiday?]) >that we only get a handful of (very ?able) 'leaders and/or 'agents of similar skin pigmentation' we have to choose from.

Why is this?

...Why it's our friendly underground railroaders, the intels and Tavistocks!

Do you ever wonder, how it is after 40ish years of so-called "desegregation" and "equality", there is incessant underlying tension between the races, even not taking into account the ghetto vs upscale issues.

Why our "representatives"
(Oprah etc.) keep making a point, whenever possible, to throw in the implications that
"This black man has acheived this"
"Even tho his competitor was white"

They instill, and maintain this divisiveness, which of course is why they've been allowed to become prominent figures, so much so that if you, as a black person don't subscribe to one of the above five flavors, you are a (white?) sheep...

None of this sits well with me.

If a man acheives something, let him be called merely a man, if a woman acheives something, let her be called merely a woman.

Leave race out of it, we'd have no need for anything like MLK Day.

Peace to his soul....

J

I also wonder if many blacks feel, as I do (even being white) that their heroes and heroines are chosen for them. Leaves a nasty bitter taste in my mouth.

That's an interesting point.  Related to that is the idea of holidays in general.  Why should our "higher powers" tell us who/what we're supposed to celebrate and when?  Most people don't seem to think that way though, thought never crosses their mind.   Most seem to like the matrix system where they're assigned their designated days off to stay home and not work, then return to the drudgery, looking forward to their next designated holiday a month or so down the line.    It's really weird when you think about it.  The whole thing is tick-tock herd mentality.  (borrowing a stuart wilde phrase.)  Do what the group does, when they do it.  There's never any new holidays added.  It's like "The Powers That Be" have a limited amount they want to officially celebrate.  Don't want to give the herd more celebrations and days off.     I don't have a problem with MLK myself, but I don't want to celebrate stuff like "Columbus Day."  BLECH.  Or "President's Day."  History is full of heroes of all colors who never get celebrated. 

Scrap the mainstream wonky askew calendar.  Scrap the mainstream holidays that lock the herd into tick tock.  Make our own way!

Down off soap box!  haha

First, I've always found it odd that a day which is supposed to be in remembrance of a black man, ended up being another "white collar" holiday. By that I mean the bankers, post office workers and most large corporations have the day off from work.
But not the grunts.. not the blue collar dirt-under-the-nails people. I'm not upset about not having the day off, it's just one of those headshakers.

MLK Day, in my possibly distorted opinion, is a reminder to people of all colors that "this is what happens to those who dare speak out about inequities"

"So go ahead, speak out. The CIA, or another
organization will mow you down, then in 15 years time, you can have your very own holiday".

I have no problem with MLK, or what he stood for. I just find utter hypocrisy and hollow appeasement to be the motivating factors behind nearly everything our gov't does.

Why no "JFK Day"?
The day most people consider shook this nation to it's core- isn't worth a holiday?

I also wonder if many blacks feel, as I do (even being white) that their heroes and heroines are chosen for them. Leaves a nasty bitter taste in my mouth.

It feels like a subtle reminder that we are ALL
still slaves, regardless of our geneology....

  J

"He understood that life is not about self. Life is about service — and service to others," said Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.

Just that today I have the day off and here to chill with Noble Realms.
Still, I have been noticing the news just had to throw '08 politics in like, everything that is slightly remote to politics.